CityAirbus is one of two eVTOL aircraft currently under development at Airbus. Courtesy: Airbus
Key Takeaways:
Airbus has selected Thales and Diehl Aerospace to develop separate, redundant flight control computer systems for its CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL air taxi.
Thales will develop the primary flight control system, while Diehl Aerospace will create the secondary, independent backup system, crucial for the aircraft's safety and operational redundancy.
The CityAirbus NextGen is a fixed-wing, V-tail eVTOL designed for four passengers, aiming for an 80 km range and 120 km/h cruise speed, with its first prototype flight expected in 2023.
Both companies bring extensive experience in flight control and avionics, with the systems designed to comply with new EASA regulations and supported by German and French government funding.
Thales and Diehl Aerospace will develop separate flight control computers for the CityAirbus NextGen electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, Airbus announced Thursday.
The two companies will work to develop redundant computer systems that will be critical to flight operations and safety for the emerging aircraft.
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
